A few years ago, I decided I needed to take better care of my health. I started working full-time, going back to school for my master’s degree, and wanting to pursue multiple dream projects. My stamina and motivation, however, didn’t feel up to the task. I discovered that body and mind shared a powerful connection, and that if I wanted to perform my best mental work, I needed to take care of my body, too. As a student, employee, and individual, I needed to form new, mini-habits–or “micro-habits” as I would eventually call them.
The question was: When? How? Squeezing in exercise routines every day didn’t feel feasible with my busy schedule. I knew I needed to “make time,” but also did not want that time to come at the expense of my hobbies, responsibilities, and work. However, I also couldn’t afford exercise equipment and specialized “protein-power” foods at the time.
I started with “free” and small as my baseline. I looked at these small changes as “micro-habits”–small changes I could make as a student, employee, or individual. Instead of “How can I add new things to my busy schedule?” I focused on “How can I tweak what I’m already doing?” Making these small tweaks to my daily routine made a big difference in my overall physical health, stamina, and mental wellbeing. Here are five small, specific changes you can try for yourself–or use as a launchpad to create some student-centric micro-habits of your own.
1. Stand when you Can
As an introverted, gamer-writer-researcher type, I sit in a chair most of the day. If you work a desk job or enjoy most of your hobbies at a computer, chances are you sit a lot, too. Taking time to restfully sit and relax is important to maintaining overall health. However, sitting too long alternatively takes a toll on energy.
I started asking myself: “Can I complete this task while standing?” And I was surprised to find in most cases, the answer was “Yes.” I could:
- Place my laptop and keyboard on a cardboard box on top of my desk to work while standing
- Fold my laundry on a table instead of the floor
- Watch an episode of a show or play games while standing instead of sitting
- Eat my lunch while standing
- Be in a virtual call on Zoom/Teams while standing
The task itself didn’t change, only the way I did it. This allowed me to work in more standing time without changing my daily routine or work itself. The perks of standing include:
- Burn more calories than sitting
- Improve cardiovascular health
- Reduce back pain
- Increase energy
The key isn’t to turn every single opportunity and task into a “standing” one. With certain activities meant for relaxation (like watching an episode of anime), I chose to enjoy them while sitting to reap the most benefits. I recommend identifying at least one routine task or activity that you can alternatively do standing up, then create a mental “rule” for standing associated with that task. Work in additional “standing” tasks as you see fit.
2. Walk when you Can
For a busy day, working in any kind of “routine” exercise can seem impossible. I’d often heard that walking 30 minutes a day 5 days a week was ideal, but that seemed like a big chunk of time out of an already packed schedule. However, I managed to find a system that not only worked for me, but let me achieve this goal without drastically changing my schedule and daily to-do’s. Here are a few pointers:
Pair it with another routine activity: Do you have an activity you normally do while sitting that could easily be done while walking instead? For example: listening to a morning sermon/devotional, joining an audio-only work call or class lecture, listening to an audio version of your textbook, talking to a friend on your lunch break, or making a series of morning phone calls for appointments/meetings/plans.
Track it with your phone timer or an app: Have a timer on your phone set specifically for your walking time. Press “start” when you begin walking and “stop” when you pause. Time throughout the day until you reach “30 mins.” Alternatively, you may find a free exercise app like Strava to be highly motivational. Strava tracks your time, miles, and progress while also allowing you to connect with friends, share photos of your walks, and support others.
Do it in 10-minute intervals: Instead of trying to tackle the whole 30 minutes in one go, aim for 10-minute intervals. For example: Shave off 10 minutes of your lunch break for a post-lunch walk, wake up 10 minutes earlier to begin your day with a stroll, and walk for 10 minutes between classes or after work.
Use a walking pad or treadmill: This option isn’t free, but may be worth the investment. These miniature walking treadmills fit under your desk (or just about anywhere else) easily. You can walk where you’d normally stand in place (such as during a virtual meeting, while watching an episode, or while reading a textbook). A walking pad can help you get your 30 minutes in without needing a big outdoor space, and often more easily allows you to pair your walking time with another activity.
Take the longer route: If convenient, choose to take the “longer” route for your routine activities. Walk to the bathroom at the other end of the building instead of the one next to your office. Walk up and down the stairs instead of taking the elevator. Park in the furthest away spot and walk back and forth from your car.
3. Wake up Three Minutes Earlier
I often found myself rushing for the door, trying to make it to work or class. When my day started off feeling “behind schedule,” it usually left me feeling like I was on a metaphorical treadmill for the rest of it. However, I also didn’t want to wake up drastically earlier because getting a certain amount of sleep was critical to preserving my energy and mental health.
I asked myself the question I often asked when creating my student-centric “micro-habits”: What’s the absolute minimum amount of change I can afford?
As an experiment, I set my alarm three minutes earlier than usual. I found that it often took me three minutes to really wake up, as I groggily gained consciousness and then wanted to rest a moment before getting the day started. Having three minutes of lead time helped me feel less rushed and like I could take my time doing my morning routine. Setting your alarm even a few minutes earlier has a lot of benefits, including:
- Feeling more “in control” of your day, which leads to a confidence boost and feeling more motivated
- Enhancing productivity by giving yourself a couple extra minutes to get things done
- Reducing stress because you aren’t rushing around first thing in the morning when your cortisol is already high
4. Prioritize Your Passions
As I got busier and busier, I started to ask myself about what really mattered and what I really enjoyed. Healthier student-centric micro-habits meant more than just “be more active” and “get plenty of sleep.” It included my hobbies, interests, and recreational time, too. I took inventory of my “pastime habits” and personal interests, and found that sometimes I wasn’t truly doing things that benefitted me, like:
- Scrolling absent-mindedly on my phone for quick entertainment
- Watching a show just because I was a completionist or it was “something to do,” not because it was something I loved
- Listening to a podcast in the background but not really paying attention or being interested in the subject
- Reading a trendy book because it was popular, not something I was personally interested in
- Writing about an “easy/safe” research topic that I wasn’t really interested in for a school project
- Choosing the workplace routine over professional development in an area of interest
- Saying “yes” to something just to be polite without truly being involved or interested
I realized that often I was falling back on what was “easy” or “routine” or “safe” in my habits, rather than truly pursuing things I loved. The heart of the problem was: I hadn’t paused long enough to really reflect on what I wanted (more on this in #5)! Once I identified my true interests and what I wanted to accomplish, I became more conscientious about my recreational habits:
- Setting specific “free-scroll” times on social media (5 minutes at lunch, while walking to the car, etc.)
- Dropping shows and books that don’t interest me; not forcing myself to complete something just for the sake of closure/trendiness
- Being a mindful, present listener; not playing podcasts and audiobooks in the background for the sake of noise
- Choosing topics of interest for research projects, proposals, and presentations
- Dedicating time each week on the job to pursue professional interests
- Saying “yes” sometimes; but also less often
5. Reflect once a Week
One of the most liberating and terrifying moments of my life was realizing how much “control” I had–not over my circumstances, but in how I acted and the choices I made. Thinking for yourself can be exhausting, and it’s often easier to simply go through life being told what to do and how than to ask big questions like: “What do I want to accomplish in life?” and “Am I making progress toward my goals?”
Building in reflection time has been a game-changer for me–even if only once per week for 15 minutes. For this micro-habit, I sit in a quiet room where I won’t be interrupted, open a text document on my computer and write down any goals and observations (as a student, employee, or individual) that come to mind.
- What’s on my bucket list?
- Where do I want to go? What do I want to see? Who do I want to meet?
- What are my big life goals? What if I could only accomplish three major feats? What would they be?
- What topics truly interest me? How can I learn more about those things?
- What books, movies, anime, video games, and activities really speak to me? What’s on my must-watch list, not just my backlog?
- Who do I want to be at the end of this year/semester?
- What habits are holding me back?
- What habits do I want to develop?
- What’s working well for me right now? What isn’t?
- What’s been the highest and lowest point of my week/month so far?
- What does my “dream life” look like?
Those questions might feel heavy, but asking them early and often makes all the difference in how you reorient your life and habits toward your genuine goals and interests. Make your reflection time sacred, like a promise you keep with yourself or a critical “appointment” you can’t miss. Make it a priority. Then, enjoy the surprise when everything falls into place as a result.
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